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Just had this thought as I’ve read about multiple GA accidents that resulted from unintentional flight into IMC with planes not equipped for it (no attitude indicator), resulting in disorientation and other things.

So, that said, would something low-tech like fuzzy dice, rosary beads, air freshener, etc. hanging from overhead help alleviate those issues if one unintentionally flew into those conditions? Help alleviate in this sense would mean help limit disorientation and assist in correcting pitch and/or roll in the absence of instruments.

Chris Loonam
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  • Usually fuzzy dice hanging from the rear-view mirror just block the view of the road. This is the first time I've ever heard of even the possibility of them being somehow useful... – FreeMan May 20 '22 at 18:27
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    Think about the forces acting on the dice in various flight maneuvers. How would they affect their “proper” indication. Bottom line they would only be accurate in unaccelerated flight. So first you’d need help getting to that state. – Jim May 20 '22 at 18:44
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    Ah yes, that seems like the same thing. Didn’t know how exactly to word it to find dupes. – Chris Loonam May 20 '22 at 18:44
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    The number of planes that don't have an attitude indicator is extremely small, probably limited to ultralights without an enclosed cockpit (where your fuzzy dice get blown backwards by the wind) – DJClayworth May 20 '22 at 18:47
  • @FreeMan if your car is upside-down, you may have bigger problems than windscreen visibility. – Richard May 20 '22 at 19:19
  • This question can't not be a duplicate. Unfortunately the plumb bob would tell you the same thing your inner ear is telling you, because they are acted upon by the same forces! And as you know, the inner ear is wrong because it's not a gyroscope. If the plumb bob was a gyroscope, however... – Harper - Reinstate Monica May 20 '22 at 20:40
  • @DJClayworth - most club-owned glider towplanes (as well as most gliders) lack functioning attitude indicators. Likely also true of most purpose-designed aerobatic aircraft. Also true of the Taylorcraft I got my license in and the Ces 12O I rented after that. – quiet flyer May 22 '22 at 01:52
  • And that's why I made sure to practice "partial panel" cloud flying- all cloud flying was "partial panel" in those planes! – quiet flyer May 22 '22 at 01:54

1 Answers1

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No.

The simple fact is, any kind of hanging indicator would be subject to the same G forces that confuse a human's inner ear. Here's a famous video of pilot Bob Hoover pouring tea while doing a barrel roll. If you look carefully, there's also some kind of ball hanging from a string that's tied to the platform holding the cup of tea. The ball continues to point toward the belly of the plane, even when the belly of the plane is pointed toward the sky.

HiddenWindshield
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